{"id":2850,"date":"2026-02-08T20:23:36","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T20:23:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vintage.bohemiancave.org.uk\/?p=2850"},"modified":"2026-02-08T20:31:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T20:31:23","slug":"nintendo-game-boy-color","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vintage.bohemiancave.org.uk\/index.php\/nintendo-game-boy-color\/","title":{"rendered":"Nintendo Game Boy Color"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Game Boy<\/a> took the world by storm (don’t you just hate that phrase) so Nintendo made a smaller version – the Game Boy Pocket – and then in 1998 a colour version. As with (almost) all future Game Boy’s the Color can play original Game Boy games.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Hardware<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Game Boy Color was the next evolution of the Game Boy<\/a> concept. There was a cut-size version known as the Game Boy Pocket which played the same games, which came before it, but the Color doubled the CPU speed and added colour. I don’t have a Pocket, so I’ll make comparisons with the original instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Power consumption is much better on the Color, despite the colour screen and the faster CPU. You can power it with 2 AA batteries (rather that the 4 of the original) or plug in a 3V, center positive adapter into the jack on the bottom.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The screen on the Game Boy Color is unlit. That is, it gets it’s light from reflections though the LCD pixels. This does mean that you need to be in a well-lit room or have light behind you. As you can see in the picture, you can get quite a reasonable image in good conditions. In a dimly lit room you wont be able to see a thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is an accessory available which is basically a lamp on a fairly rigid coily wire which plugs into the EXT port on the side and gives some illumination. I haven’t got one so I can’t comment on how good it is.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The right hand side just has the power switch, whereas on the left we have the volume control and the link port (marked EXT) – which is smaller. Unlike the original Game Boy there is no contrast control.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Another addition to the hardware of the Color is the infrared port on the top. According to the Internet, you can’t use it for multiplayer games, but it can instead be used for transmitting data like high scores, collectable in-game objects, and unlocking features.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Summary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n